Shadow of Death
by Hope 2015
Summary: What if Anubis had an affair with a ghost and his child is a ward of Ruby and Julius Kane? What would happen when she is introduced to the world of gods and magic ? (Set in the Red Pyramid. Slight crossover with Danny Phantom)
1. Death and Life

Hospitals. One of the few places he could manifest in. He stood by the pink doors of the maternity ward, stoically watching white-clad men carry out the lifeless body of a sixteen-year-old girl. There was a slack absence to her muscles, her limbs like damp rags. Cold eyelids were pulled tightly shut over her once-vibrant eyes, her golden hair forming a halo about her head. An angel, if only. Leaning over to slip a ring of amethyst off her dead finger, he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, clenching his fist around the icy circle.

He moved into the nursery, amongst rows and rows of newborns. The little one in the middle caught his eye immediately. Swiftly, he walked over to the pink bundle, reaching out to lift her into his eager arms.

His little girl's eyes were closed, tight as her mother's in death. Yet the rise and fall of her tiny chest showed life, the absence of which in her ill-fated mother. On her head, he could clearly see the beginnings of golden-brown hair. The dark from him, light from her. Suddenly, those eyelids sprang open, revealing twin orbs that were almost extraterrestrial. They began with a circle of the deepest black at the edges, slowly fading into an ethereal midnight blue. An explosion of gold lit up the centre, surrounding the darkness of the iris. As his chocolate eyes stared, a chubby smile spread across the child's face, recognition flooding those strange eyes. This drew out an indulgent smile from him, a rarity for the god of the dead.

But the moment ended quickly. He had to leave. Another kiss to another forehead when he placed her back into the glass cot, slipping a locket around her fragile neck.

"Althea Rosalie Petrova, we will meet again. "


	2. The Disaster Before Christmas (Part 1)

'24th December 2013.

7 days to my ninth birthday.

1 day to Christmas.

One of the two days I have with Sadie'

Her pen flowed across the blank page of her notebook, writing all the details about today, trying to figure out why it brought such a feeling of dread in the pits of her stomach.

For six months in a row, nightmares have been haunting her dreams. They featured Cleopatra's Needle, the British Museum and a fiery an with blood-red skin. All ended in the same way - the body of her adoptive father encased in a golden sarcophagus, dragged through the floor. It was too much of a coincidence.

"Althea!" The call of her brother brought her back down to Earth. She looked up, annoyance crossing her features.

"What?" Her tone was clipped.

He rolled his eyes (an extremely unusual expression on him), finishing off his reminder to put on her seatbelt. For some reason, the plane'a PA system was out of order (or so he claimed). She complied, absentmindedly glancing at the digital face of her watch. 6.30pmOver an hour late for Visiting Day. Sadie was going to throw a fit.

An unconscious smile spread across her face at the thought of the twelve-year-old hurricane waiting for her in London.

Sadie Kane was, to put it simply, one of a kind. With a razor-sharp tongue and brazen manner, she was the life of the family. The only person who called her 'Allie' without obtaining a black eye.

"We will be making our descent into London International Airport shortly. Please fasten all seat belts, stow all tray tables and keep all seats upright. Toilets should not be used at this time."

A scowl immediately replaced her grin. Her brother had obviously passed on false information, causing an unnecessary extra minutes of discomfort.

"Dang it," She cursed.


	3. The Disaster Before Christmas (Part 2)

London was the same concrete jungle she left behind last summer. Just with a much lower temperature and a more festive atmosphere.

She walked hand-in-hand with Carter, off to retrieve Sadie from the clutches of their maternal grandparents. Dad stood a few paces away, engaged in a heated conversation with a mysterious man in a trench coat.

" Who's that?" She peered up at her brother, hoping for answers.

Carter shrugged, turning back for another look at him. "No clue. Though I'm pretty sure I've seen him before. "

Unsatisfied, she opened her mouth, another question on the tip of her tongue. Effectively extinguished by the sight of her mother's maiden home.

Located on the East of the Thames, the gloomy estate stood, the host of numerous painful memories, doors never open for Dad, Carter or her for some reason. Unlike the rest of London, it didn't change with the seasons, maintaining its grim countenance all year round. The duo moved up the path quickly, fully intending to grab Sadie and depart without any unnecessary interaction with the owners.

"You're late," Sadie flung the door open before either of them could knock. Her blue eyes flickered to hers for an explanation.

"Our flight was delayed," she answered, somewhat sheepish.

"For the third time in a row!" Her sister complained, tossing her cat into the house. "You need to upgrade your excuses, Allie. "

Althea winced at the use of the annoying nickname, praying that it wouldn't be used in public.

Sadie's gaze shifted to Carter, popping a bubble expertly. "So, you're here too."

She sounded a little disappointed.

He nodded curtly, obviously expecting the 'greeting' to be nothing but disdainful.

"Let's get on with it, then. " Sadie lunged for her free arm, dragging her out of Carter's hands and towards Dad, forcing him to dash after them.

Sharp as a needle, she noticed the stranger immediately, carefully watching Dad gesticulate agitatedly as the conversation progressed. "Who's that?"

Surprisingly, Carter replied, panting. "Dunno. He was there when we pulled up."

A frown creased her brow. "He's familiar. Let's go take a look. "

"Sadie, no!"

Carter's eye twitched in aggravation. The effect of his sister'a utter disregard for his wishes already sprouting grey hairs.

Althea sighed dramatically, stalking after her sister.

"C'mon, we'd better follow her."

"This is madness, Julius! The Per Ankh have their eye on you, especially after..."

"I know the risks...this is key...sacrifice..."

"How...children? One...connection to..."

"Are you looking for a duel? You never could beat me, Amos."

Thankfully, Sadie chose that particular moment to make her grand entrance.

"Hey, Dad!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, barreling into his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

'Amos' stumbled backwards, startled by her sudden appearance. He recovered quickly, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "I-I must get going."

Dad stared at his retreating figure, one arm holding Sadie in a protective embrace, the other on the strap of his work bag. When he was out of sight, Dad turned to Sadie, an affectionate smile lighting up his face like a Christmas tree. "Hello, sweetheart!"

She scowled, crossing her arms sternly. "So now it's ' _sweetheart_ '? Visiting Day's almost over! Oh and who was that guy?"

The smile didn't waver for a second. "Forget about him. We've got a great night ahead of us at the British Museum!"

Althea's eyes widened. _The British Museum. The disaster area of her dreams. And they were driving straight towards it._


End file.
